Transportation Engineering

RIDOT Statewide ADA Conformance Program

Green was awarded a major design contract to upgrade existing sidewalks on state-maintained highways in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As an initial phase, Green completed field investigation of the existing sidewalks for a total length of more than 200 miles within the project area which encompasses nine different communities. The results of the investigation were summarized as a Conceptual Design Report for each project community and into Microsoft Access database. The contract also included final design of sidewalk improvements at selected areas upon Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s annual prioritization. Green completed the design of the Route 2 and Route 33 Sidewalk Improvement Project in Cranston and Warwick. Construction for sidewalks along West Shore Road in Warwick was completed in 2005 and construction for sidewalks on Block Island was completed in 2006. Block Island involved the full depth reconstruction of two streets and new concrete sidewalks along 4,000 feet of roadway.

MassDOT Route 62, Princeton, MA

Green completed the design for the reconstruction of Hubbardston Road (Route 62) with a total length of 2.9 miles in Princeton, Massachusetts. The roadway traverses residential area near the Town Common and is abutted by environmentally sensitive features such as wetlands, matured trees and stone walls. Before reconstruction, the roadway pavement was in poor condition, having deteriorated due to repeated forces from frost action. Some portion of the roadway experiences hillside seepage which freezes across the entire width of the roadway in the winter. These conditions made driving on this road extremely dangerous. Green delivered engineering services that addressed all aspects of the project and allowed the project to be built in a timely manner.

Of vital importance to the project was the ability of our firm to obtain a design waiver from the MassDOT to reduce the required width of the new roadway. This resulted in significant preservation of matured trees and reduced disruption of stone walls, drinking water wells and abutter's property. Other major design factors include a new drainage system along the entire length of the roadway to eliminate the frost reaction underneath the pavement and ice build-up on the roadway.

VTrans- Exit 14, Burlington, VT

Green was contracted by VTrans to perform Preliminary and Final Design for the widening and signalization of Ramp C at Exit 14 of Interstate 89 in Burlington, Vermont. The project was to improve safety and mobility of the ramp which has been experiencing vehicle back ups queuing onto I-89 and creating severe safety issues. Green developed, in coordination with VTrans, FHWA and municipalities, solutions involving the widening of the ramp from existing one lane to two lanes and the installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Ramp C and Williston Road (US Route 2). The project was the number one priority of all VTrans highway projects for 2006; thus, it needed to be designed in an extremely fast-track nature. Green met this challenge of the fast-tracked schedule, and the design was completed in May 2006. The project was successfully constructed in the Fall of 2006. Indicative of our design quality, the total change order amount was only 1% of the total construction cost.

RIDOT High Hazard Intersections

Green completed engineering services to collect and analyze data at various high hazard intersections and develop the design to reduce accidents and improvement traffic flow. Initially, Green studied fourteen (14) intersections and developed recommendations to reduce accidents and improve traffic flow. Rhode Island Department of Transportation authorized Green to proceed with final design of four intersections. Many of Green’s recommendations on other intersections were incorporated into RIDOT’s Arterial Improvement Projects. The final design of this project involved complete signal system replacement, “dilemma zone” loop installation, signal timing adjustment, ramp geometry reconfiguration, lane restriping and sidewalk upgrade per ADA compliance. Bidding and advertisement phase of this project went smoothly without any incidents, and the low bid price was within 4% of the Engineer’s Estimate.

Peabody Bikeway

Green was the prime consultant to design 4.6 miles of bikeway in Peabody, Massachusetts. The Peabody Bikeway follows the abandoned Boston and Maine (B&M) Railroad, connecting over 465 acres of public-owned park space such as Corbiel Park, Radding Park, Lalikos Park and Farnham Park as well as providing an alternative transportation mode between neighborhoods and shopping areas including the Shop and Save Plaza and Northshore Mall.

The proposed bikeway consists of a 10-foot bituminous concrete pavement and 2-foot crushed stone shoulders and accommodates bicyclists, runners, walkers, wheelchair accessibility, rollerbladers, etc. Environmental permits obtained for this project included an ENF Certificate, an Order of Conditions, and a Water Quality Certificate. Significant coordination was made during the Notice of Intent filing process with the Mass. DEP for 100-year flood storage compensatory areas and minimization of the wetland impacts. Through various avoidance and minimization measures, the total wetland impact was kept to under 5,000 s.f. to avoid a variance to the Wetland Protection Act. The final design incorporated the proposed wetland replications and compensatory areas along the bikeway. The project was successfully constructed in 2009.

MassDOT Route 29, Lowell Street, Wilmington, MA

Green was responsible for the preliminary and final design and construction services which included roadway reconstruction, new sidewalks, drainage/utility improvements, environmental studies and permitting, traffic signalization at four different intersections including Lowell St. (Rte 129) and Main Street (Route 38) intersection, and streetscape improvements. The project involved the reconstruction of Lowell Street (Route 129) from Main Street (Route 38) to Woburn Street, a distance of approximately 1.2 miles. Other considerations included: coordination with the water and sewer projects on Lowell Street under design by others; and coordination with MassHighway on other projects adjoining Lowell Street. At the request of the Town, Green was successful at negotiating a design waiver from MassHighway to allow a narrower overall pavement width, eliminating right-of-way taking from abutters. At the 25% design stage, Green conducted public meetings where we generated local resident support by demonstrating our design approach and integration with MassHighway requirements.

MassDOT Granby Road, Chicopee, MA

Granby Road is a two-lane urban arterial for a length of 2.8 miles in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The project involved roadway realignment; widening and full-depth reconstruction; installation of new cement sidewalks; right of way acquisitions; installation of two traffic signal systems; retaining walls to minimize the impacts to abutting properties; and installation of a new closed drainage system separating the existing combined sewer system. Although the roadway was located in an urban setting, several wetlands were affected by the proposed sewer and drainage separation and the project required numerous environmental permits. Green developed stormwater treatment structures, including a wetpond and extended detention ponds, to control peak flows and improve stormwater quality prior to discharge into the wetlands. Green also replicated wetlands to mitigate impacts to the existing wetlands.

An adjunct project that developed from the Granby Road reconstruction project was the Hearthstone Quarry Brook restoration project. The upper 900 feet of Hearthstone Quarry Brook was restored using a combination of pipe, gabion check dams and bioengineering techniques. The restoration project provides for and allows the increased runoff volume from the Granby Road Reconstruction Project to be carried without further degradation of the brook.

MassDOT Route 9 at Oak Street, Natick, MA

Green is providing design services to the Town of Natick and MassDOT for the Route 9 at Oak Street intersection. Approximately 59,500 vehicles a day and 5,500 vehicles during the peak hour travel through or around the existing Route 9 and Oak Street intersection which is a signalized and unconventional (jug-handle) style intersection. Traffic entering Oak Street from Route 9 must navigate through a multi staged jughandle. The existing intersection leads to driver confusion and significant traffic backups on Oak Street in each direction. Backups on Oak Street can extend as far as one mile. Pedestrian crossings are difficult and confusing as pedestrians must make up to eight crossings to reach the opposite side of Route 9. The intersection is high on the list of the Top Thousand High-Crash Intersections. Recently Green completed the 25% design submittal materials in accordance with the MassDOT requirements. The proposed improvements include new traffic signals, implementation of a conventional four legged intersection and added lane capacity on Route 9 and Oak Street. The proposed design also includes signal timing and signal coordination at Overbrook Drive to improve the operation of the Route 9 corridor.

VTrans US Route 5 Reconstruction, Hartford, VT

The proposed project included almost the entire length of Hartford Avenue, which makes up an approximately 0.8 mile segment of U.S. Route 5 in the Town of Hartford, Vermont. Hartford Avenue was a two-lane roadway including a segment with a very steep gradient and has a high incident rate of accidents. The new roadway was widened to two lanes in each direction with a raised median island from VT 14 to the school entrance/Worcester Avenue intersection. The remaining portion of the project was widened to three lanes with a center turn lane and sidewalks and provided a signalized intersection for school access and egress. Substantial landscape architectural work was part of the project to improve the aesthetics of the area and to mitigate the widening impacts.

Green also designed water and sewer improvements and incorporated these services within the project area. Green designed the layout and profile of approximately 3,900 feet of new sanitary sewer pipe to adequately collect and transport the existing and future peak sanitary flows for the “Tafts Flats” and “Wilder” sections of the Town. The project also involved a permanent soldier pile and lagging wall, which is 40 feet high and 650 feet long. The wall surface is treated by colored and textured precast panels.